| The President of the EMA board, Francesc Narváez, highlights the importance of residents collaborating in saving water |
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The board of the Entitat del Medi Ambient (EMA) environment authority in the metropolitan area of Barcelona has approved the regulations and fines for citizens who waste water, with fines of up to 3,000 euros for filling swimming pools with drinking water.
The President of the EMA, Francesc Narváez, stated that these fines would be applicable from next week, once published in the Butlletí Oficial of the province.
Fines will be proportional to the size of the pool or garden in question, with maximums of 750, 1,500 and 3,000 euros depending on the seriousness of the offence.
In cases where there is repetition of the offence, the intake of water may be closed.
Minor sanctions will be applied in the case of using drinking water to wash cars on the road, water gardens of between 250 and 1,000 square metres, or filling pools up to 12 metres deep by six wide.
Using drinking water to water gardens between 1,000 and 3,000 square metres is considered a serious offence, and will carry fines of 800 euros.
The highest fines are for using drinking water for gardens of more than 3,000 metres – fine of 2,500 euros - or filling pools of more than 52 metres – 2,800 euros.
Councils will manage fines
Narváez explained that councils would manage the fines, with municipal inspectors, local polices and Mossos d'Esquadra officers responsible for detecting the offence of wasting drinking water.
The President of the EMA highlighted the importance of collaboration by the general public, stating that the average consumption of water in the metropolitan area of Barcelona was the lowest in the whole of Catalonia. |
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